Focus on women this year

Fatimah (in black and white baju kurung) with members of the Kuching Melanau Association and eDOK Association at her office. — ZULAZHAR SHEBLEE / The Star

KUCHING: Strategies to develop and empower women will be given greater emphasis by the state Women and Family Department this year which is in line with 2018 being declared Women Empowerment Year in Malaysia.

Sarawak Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development Minister Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah said the department would carry out programmes for women in seven focus areas which are education and skills training, family, law, leadership, health, economy and culture.

“There is a proverb that says if you educate a woman you educate the whole family, so it is a good investment if you empower women.

“When we want to empower women, our focus is firstly on education and skills training,” she told reporters after receiving courtesy calls from the Kuching Melanau Association and eDOK Association here.

eDOK Association members consist of Dalat, Oya and Kut people from the Dalat constituency who are now living in Kuching.

Fatimah said the department would also continue to strengthen the family institution and empower women through the law.

“Women are the backbone of their families, so a strong family unit will contribute to women’s well-being.

“We also want women to know their rights and the rights of children so that they will not be exploited,” she said.

She added that the department would “work strategically” with other government agencies and ministries to empower women.

On the courtesy call, Fatimah said both the Kuching Melanau and eDOK associations provided a meeting place for the Melanau community and those hailing from Dalat, Oya and Kut who were working or residing in Kuching.

She said the associations were also a platform for the community to preserve their linguistic and cultural heritage.

“Our focal point is to serve not only the present generation but also the next generation so that they will not forget their roots. We want to ensure that our culture and language will not diminish but continue to be enriched,” she said.

Fatimah said although the Melanaus were a minority, they enjoyed education opportunities and many had succeeded in various fields.

“We have architects, entrepreneurs, educationists, doctors and other professionals among us and we are ready to give back to society, especially in rural areas where it is needed the most,” she said.

According to 2014 statistics, the Melanau comprised some 132,000 people or 6% of Sarawak’s population.